Video Game Menu Music (Part 3)

By Zott820
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Welcome to Part 3 of the saga. I initially worked toward having enough material for 3 of these segments, though I may expand to more in the future. In this compilation, I highlight a game theme that has carried its purpose well. I will also add in some more Gameboy music, which, while not as high quality as Orchestrated pieces highlighted in past episodes, still do an alright job. As always, I’ll have my little comments on each one, as we go.

Battlefield Series:
I could highlight each one separately, but for the most part they are remixes of the same theme, minus game, which I shall mention. These are different than the Battlefield Bad Company Menu song I mentioned in a previous Video Game Menu Music segment.

Battlefield 1942 [Load Theme] (PC)

Battlefield 1942 started the theme, and to me, it is a classic. I roaring drum, like the thundering of oncoming tanks (almost forshadowed in the game’s intro) sound the rage of war. The Brass pieces do well at furthering the dramatic movements.

Battlefield 2 [US Army Load Theme] (PC)

Starring in Battlefield 2, this theme gives a patriotic spin on the olden age. Trumpets are present like before, but the drums are more subdued giving a regal ring. The whole song is overall quieter, which is soothing, then Blamo it speeds up at the end for the final crescendo.

Battlefield 2142 (PC)

Hands down the best of the 1942 Theme offerings. I believe this is because it keeps the 1942 available, but adds additional musical segments which seemed to be missing. IE, you had the same 1942 beat and melody repeat twice through, here for 2142 you have an interlude that continues the epicness.

Battlefield 2142 [Wake Island Guitar Remix] (PC)

I high up on the list of the Battlefield themes I like. A extreme departure from the others that relied on more classical instruments, this one divulged into electronic. Well, I like it, strong, but with strong roots. It doesn’t improvise too much, but keeps it where it is needed.

Battlefield Bad Company [Orchestrated Load Theme] (Xbox 360, PS3)

You’d think with orchestrated live instruments that the music would be better not worse. I just can’t get into this rendition, I’m including it for completionist status, but otherwise, I would have left it off. It is good for the background, but the cello just doesn’t cut it for me. Not low quality instruments, but not high quality remake.

Battlefield 1943 (PS3, Xbox 360)

The songs from the series come full circle. This time, the strings play a bigger role, and the drums are not as cacophonic as the original 1942 recording. A mellow overtone with slight periods of rise, which even then are relatively subdued.

Battlefield 2: Modern Combat

Now, I didn’t stick this in with the Battlefield section, because it is an original theme of the game, not building off the 1942 one. The instruments have a slightly middle eastern underpinning with a techno action tempo. The beginning reminds me of the adrenaline rush of The Amazing Race, while the rest is face paced, much like the Crysis Warhead soundtrack. This would be something I could expect to find in that game, maybe even during a heavy battle.

Goldeneye 007 [Pause Menu] (N64)

What made this song so nice, is that it didn’t try and be anything that it wasn’t. Would I have action music on my watch? Heck no. Would it be sad? No. So what would there be? A calming rendition of the bond theme, possibly spliced between the ingame action. For an N64 Game, the sound quality wasn’t too shoddy either. But then it is mostly bleeps and bloops anyway. Perfect Dark’s pause music is sort of close, but it doesn’t feel like something that can be easily spliced into the normal game action, a bit too off for my tastes.

Goldeneye: Rogue Agent (Gamecube, Xbox, PS2)

Personally, I don’t care much for this song, but it certainly is memorable, heck it is the best song in this forsaken game. Very techno, very loud. This theme was not carried throughout the game with its music (minus the credits) so it is difficult to see what it is playing up except the antagonisticness of the main character. If anything fits in this game, I suppose this song is it.

F-Zero GX/AX [Spade Character Profile] (Gamecube)

An excellent song. Dignified, and highly charactertizing. All this makes it fit so well, plus it is hummable and simple. The echo is not just overlaid either, it helps maintain the tempo, something no all songs pull off well.

Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim (PC)

It is not often that I listen to folk/medieval sounding music. A pleasant cheery tune, it gives that sense of duty that the king must maintain with his subjects. Perhaps riding amongst the country with the rise and fall of the pitch, and alternating instruments. (Which you don’t do in game, nor do the heroes, but my mind wanders.)

Myth 2: Soulblighter (PC)

The music for this game really varied between rough and gritty, and slow and mellow. Actually, most of the songs were slow, but they carried the message of the crawling doom of undead monsters. If you are looking for action music, this wasn’t the place.

Feel the Magic: XX/XY (DS)

A weird game with fitting weird music. This song has a small cult following of its own. From what I remember reading, it was chosen after the previous theme song was thrown out after the director (or someone else) rejected it. I like it, simple, catchy, it has whistling, instant win.

Kirby’s Dreamland 2 (Gameboy)

Transporting to the 8-bit era we have a gameboy selection. Most of the music had the same charming characteristic of this piece, so while this is not by far the best in the game, it will be a snack of the good things to come.

Donkey Kong GB (Gameboy)

An example of pulling an nice discrete melody out from the bass track. Simple (most Gameboy songs were) and though not quite as memorable as the actual Donkey Kong theme, I still like it.

Donkey Kong (NES)